Palmorchis triquilhada sp. nov. (Orchidaceae; Neottieae) from the Brazilian Amazon

Abstract

The Neotropical genus Palmorchis (Orchidaceae) contains 38 species distributed from Nicaragua to Peru, including northern Brazil. The genus is characterized by whitish or greenish tubular flowers with morphologically similar sepals and petals, a generally trilobed lip basally adnated to the gynostemium, and a gynostemium with a more or less curved apex. Here, a new species of Palmorchis belonging to the informal Palmorchis sobralioides group is described and illustrated from the state of Pará in the Brazilian Amazon, and its taxonomic affinities are discussed. Palmorchis triquilhada is close to P. sobralioides, differing basically by having a smaller size, pubescent leaves, deltoid and pubescent floral bracts, pubescent lip with ciliate margin, and a three‐keeled lanceolate median lobe without calli and with an acute apex. A description, photos, illustrations and ecological and taxonomic comments are provided for the species, as well as an identification key for related species.

Orchidaceae of the municipality of Igarapé-Miri, Pará, Brazilian Amazon

“…Palmorchis triquilhada is difficult to identify in the study area as it is easily confused with some juvenile species of palm trees. Furthermore, it can be confused with Palmorchis sobralioides Barb.Rodr., which also occurs in Pará, but differs from this species because it has a lip with three pubescent keels and no protuberances (vs. without keels, and with four small, raised protuberances) (Ferreira Filho & Barberena 2020). The species was found in Terra Firme Forest and was collected with flowers in September and October.…”

“…Palmorchis triquilhada is restricted to Brazil, occuring only in the state of Pará (Ferreira Filho & Barberena 2020). Palmorchis triquilhada is difficult to identify in the study area as it is easily confused with some juvenile species of palm trees.…”

“…The few studies related to plant diversity in Igarapé-Miri have focused on the shrub-arboreal stratum; diversity and use of medicinal plants; and natural population density and management of the açaí palm (Euterpe oleracea Mart.) (Nogueira 1999;Nogueira & Conceição 2000;Ferreira et al 2014;Santos et al 2019), although a new species of orchid was recently described for the municipality (Ferreira Filho & Barberena 2020).…”

Maxillaria luizotavioi (Orchidaceae: Maxillariinae): a new species from the Oriental Brazilian Amazon

“…The Orchidaceae is one of the ten richest families in the country, with about 2700 species, of which ca 30% occur in the Brazilian Amazon (BFG 2015, 2021, Flora e Funga do Brasil 2022. This number continuously increases with new records and descriptions of new species (Cantuária et al 2019, Ferreira Filho and Barberena 2020, Hagsater and Krahl 2020, Engels and Smidt 2021, Pessoa and Karremans 2022.…”